1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to athletic shoes, and, more particularly, to an athletic shoe having an inflatable tongue for conforming the shoe to the foot of the wearer.
2. Related Art
Athletic shoes having some means for conforming the shoe to the foot of the wearer to make them more comfortable are well known in the art.
An athletic shoe having an inflatable bladder in the form of a tongue is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,599 to Cohen et al. The bladder is inflated by a pump having a release valve. The release valve must be separately activated to deflate the bladder.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,767 to Cohen et al., another athletic shoe with an inflatable tongue bladder is disclosed. This pump is rather elaborate with tubing since it is disposed in the back of the shoe. Again, the release valve must be separately depressed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,779 to Litchfield et al., another athletic shoe is disclosed having an inflatable tongue bladder. The pump disclosed also includes a release valve which must be enabled to release air.
There is a need for an athletic shoe having an inflatable tongue bladder which can be quickly and easily inflated or deflated.